Pools of Rannoch
by CoMo290
Summary: Not long after the Reaper war, Shepard and Tali are doing some much needed relaxing on Rannoch. Rated M for doin' it and some language. Not particularly graphic though. Just a fluffy little one shot.


Note for my readahs, if you read the first part of Charybdis, sorry for not adding anything to it yet. I know where it's going I'm just not sure how to get there and I've got a bunch of other stuff I want to work on, but enjoy this sweet little gem!  
_

"How much further are you taking me Tali?" Shepard said through rough breaths as he chased Tali's lithe form through the twilit Rannoch deserts.

"It should just be over this next ridge." She replied

"You said that three ridges ago."

"This time I mean it. Plus the first ridge and the third ridge were actually the same one, I got a little lost for a moment."

"W you said there was something by our new house you wanted to show me I was hoping it was something I could see from the back window, I wasn't expecting a day hike."

"Well when we get out of those prefab studios we'll just have to build our permanent house a little closer. Ah here we are."

Tali stopped short of a small muddy decline that led into a large grove of the desert trees, at the bottom of which were three large pools of clear bubbling water. Waves could be heard crashing faintly in the distance, suggesting the cliffs weren't too far from where they were.

"I can't say I was expecting to see this." Shepard said as they approached the pools.

"There's a lot of geothermal activity in the area." Tali said as she began to remove her gloves. "There's an active under water volcano not far from here. The soil becomes heavily enriched with minerals as the gases boil up so the trees thrive in areas around pools like these."

She crouched down at the edge of one of the pools and began to run her hand through the water. A thin layer of steam wafted all around the surface, occasionally getting caught and drifting off in the breeze.

"I never thought I'd be standing here." She said as she stood back up. "I'd heard about the pools of Rannoch so much growing up, they were like a fairytale. And now that I'm here, I couldn't have imagined this to be more beautiful." Tali pulled back her veil and quickly separated the pieces that made up her helmet and placed them on the ground with her gloves. She took a long slow breath through her nose.

"I could die happy here John." She said as she turned to him with a grin.

"Well I'd prefer if you didn't." He replied. "I've already done enough dying for the both of us."

"Don't remind me." Tali said as she started to remove her boots now.

"What are you doing?"

"You don't think we came all the way down here just to look do you?" With her boots off Tali was now able to start removing the rest of her suit.

"Is that water safe?" Shepard asked with some concern.

"Well while you were busy helping them bring in the prefab buildings I was running an environmental scan of the area, which is how I found these pools to begin with."

Tali continued at some length about PH levels, prolonged exposure to high water temperatures, and different varieties of good and bad bacteria, but Shepard found it difficult to concentrate on the science of hot springs while Tali was becoming progressively more nude in front of him.

"At the very least you shouldn't have any problems." She said now standing completely bare in the near dark skies. She crouched against the bank of the pool as she submerged herself in the water.

"Oh Keelah John…" She said as she got as deep as her neck. "This water feels amazing."

"If you like this we'll have to get a Jacuzzi for our house."

"What's a Jacuzzi?"

"It's like an artificial version of these, but jet powered."

Tali's face turned to a state of confusion.

"I'm sure it's not at all what you're thinking of." He added with a smirk.

"So are you going to join me or are you just going to stare all night?"

"Well I certainly don't mind the view."

"I can only stay out of my suit like this for so long you know, tomorrow I could be sick as a duck."

Shepard laughed. "I think you mean dog."

"Duck, dog, what's the difference?"

"Is that a rhetorical question or do you really want to know? Because there's actually quite a bit of difference."

"Just take off your damn clothes and get in the water." Tali said with some impatience coated in a smile.

"That's all you had to say."

"Really? Here I thought leading by example would be enough."

"You know how I like to just sit back and watch you from behind sometimes." He said as he pulled off his shirt.

Tali started splashing water the commander's way. "Don't make me come out there and get you."

"I might just like that." Shepard replied as he set the rest of his clothes aside.

He approached the edge of the pool but rather than slowly submerge himself he took a small jump sending a splash back Tali's way. She immediately retaliated, pouncing on him and taking them both fully beneath the surface. When they came back up she pounced again, but this time he was ready for her and wrapped his arms around her waist with a squeeze. She feigned a struggle but ultimately ended up with her own arms tight around his neck trying to match his lips with hers.

"Take it easy." Shepard said as he winced. "It wasn't too long ago I had a big chunk of the Citadel fall on me remember?"

Tali grinned. "You don't even have a bruise anymore."

"Do you want to give me some?"

Tali giggled and then delivered a fairly powerful blow to Shepard's shoulder as she jumped away from him into the water.

"Ow, that's not what I meant at all."

"I know what you meant. We can't fool around too much here John, these pools are sacred."

"Sacred?"

"Yes, before the Geth my people would hold birthing ceremonies in these very waters."

"Birthing?!" Shepard said in dismay. "That's…"

Tali erupted in laughter. "Keelah I didn't think I'd be able to say that without cracking."

"You mean these pools aren't sacred?"

"Not at all. As far as I know my people were using them for the exact same reason I brought you here."

Shepard watched Tali move back toward him through the hot crystal water. "To sacrifice me to your water god?" He said with a coy smile.

Tali threw a big splash Shepard's way. "It will be nothing if you keep teasing me like that."

"Says the girl who invented a birthing ceremony, you know that doesn't exactly put a guy in the mood."

Tali stood so that water was just below her waist, her bare flesh glistening in the moonlight. "Does this help at all?"

"You've certainly got my attention."

"Would you come get me already?"

Shepard smiled. A faint blue glow appeared in his eyes, and in a huge flash he vanished, then immediately reappeared just in front of Tali, sweeping her up in his arms in one motion. Tali squealed.

"You know I hate when you do that to me."

"I just thought maybe it's time we try biotics in bedroom."

"Straight to biotics? But there are so many other things we haven't done yet."

"After tonight they're going to name a few things after us."

Tali clutched the back of Shepard's head and forced his lips to hers. Her tongue gently pierced his mouth and tangled with his. Tali shifted so that she could wrap her legs around Shepard's waist. He easily supported her weight with one hand on her thigh and the other around her lower back. She took a deep breath and pulled him inside her.

The sudden rush caused Tali to pull herself even tighter to Shepard, closing any distance between their bodies. She moaned when the Commander began to pump her in a slow strong rhythm. Her limbs were starting to tingle and she was finding it hard to maintain her grip with their bodies already hot and slippery. But of course Shepard had her. He continued to build his pace, motivated by the moans Tali let escape into the night.

The water around them was growing chaotic as Shepard lowered himself and by extension Tali deeper into the pool. She grinded hard against him, forcing ripples in every direction. His hands now free to explore, Shepard groped at every bit of flesh he held against himself in the water. Tali threw her head back and grabbed a handful of her own hair as she leaned out to catch a breath. Shepard took the chance to take his teeth and light suction to the base of Tali's neck. This time she shouted.

"_Harder… John…" _She weakly spat into his ear.

He wasn't sure which specific thing he was doing to her she wanted done harder, so he figured it was safest to do it all. He pushed Tali against the bank of the hot spring and flung both of her legs over his shoulders. She muffled a scream through gritted teeth. Shepard cherished those noises he was so capable of getting her to make.

He moved into her faster now and with more ferocity, her fingers were digger tight into his back and neck. Tali's mouth was unreserved at this point, moaning loudly and shouting words in Khelish that Shepard didn't recognize. Although he had a pretty good idea of what she might be saying.

Now he felt himself reaching his final throws and tried to burn whatever energy he had left for a few more hard thrusts. Tali's legs went rigid and her toes curled, she could feel herself almost begin to cramp but she had no plans to alter her position. For a moment her vision went blurry and an intense climax shot flares through all of her nerves causing her head to rocket forward directly between Shepard's eyes.

He fell backwards into the water taking Tali with him. Shepard let go of her and they both surfaced, cradling their face and head respectively.

"Son of bitch." Shepard mumbled.]

"I'm sorry John. I didn't mean to do that."

"Well I would certainly hope not." Shepard laughed. "You alright?"

"I'll be fine. Hard to complain considering everything leading up to it." Tali moved into Shepard's arms and kissed him.

"Yeah, this will make for a great story."

"Story? You better not be planning on telling anyone about this."

"Are you kidding? I just gave a girl an orgasm so good she head butted me, that's a story people will want to hear."

Tali gave him a slap across the face. "Not just any girl bosh'tet."

"I'm sorry, I was with the hottest Quarian in the galaxy, and I gave her an orgasm so good she head butted me."

"That's better."

"And I didn't even have to use biotics."

"You know you're starting to get me intrigued." Tali began to draw circles on the commander's pecs. "Just try not to flay me alive with your mind?"

"Definitely not my mind."

Tali laughed and then rested her head on Shepard's shoulder.

"So should we dry off and get back to the house? Break in that bed?" He asked.

"In a while." She replied. "Let's just hang out here in the water under the stars for a while." She planted several kisses around the commander's neck and shoulder.

"Besides," She said, "I didn't bring any towels."

So there ya go, I'm thinking about actually following up on that whole "biotics in the bedroom" thing too. That could be interesting. Let me know what you think.


End file.
